Erastus b



.E. B. BARKER.

PHOTOGRAPHIO SHIELD.

No. 267,821.. Patented Nov. 21, 1882.

WITNESSES: l INVENTOR: 6. QYZWM ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES ERASTUS B. BARKER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO E. &II. T. ANTHONY & (30., OF SAME PLACE.

PHOTOGRAPHIC SHIELD.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,821, datedNovember 21, 1882,

Application filed December 31, 1881.

1'0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ERASTUS B. BARKER, ofthe city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new andImproved Photographic Shield, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

The object of my invention is to facilitate the taking of eitherhorizontal or vertical pictures without changing the position of thecamera-box.

A further object of my invention is to lock the slides or covers of theshields automatically, thereby preventing them from slipping outaccidentally; and another object of my invention is to lock thesensitive plate within the grooves of the septum.

The invention consists in a photographic shield constructed with aremovable plateseptum that is adapted to be inserted within the shieldeither side up, whereby either horizontal or vertical pictures can betaken by simply changing the position of the septum.

The invention further consists in a removable cover i'or'eXcludi-nglight and holding the septum in the shield, which door tits in a slot inone edge of the shield, and is provided with locking devices and withsprings on the inner edge for holding the septum in the shield andthrowing the cover open automatically when the same is unfastened.

The invention further consists in a self-acting spring attached to theseptum for the purpose of automatically locking and holding thesensitive plates in the septum.

The invention also consists in a self-acting spring-lock forautomatically locking the slides or covers in the shield when the coversare pushed home.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of referenceindicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective view of my improved photographic shield, theseptum and one of the slides or covers being shown partially withdrawnand the movable cover re moved. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionalelevation of the shield,'showing the septum in place for taking avertical picture. Fig. 3 is (Model.)

a horizontal cross sectional view of the same, showing one of the slidesor covers partially withdrawn. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectionalelevation of the same, showing the septum in place for taking ahorizontal picture. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of theupper end of the removable cover, showing the fastening device 0t thiscover. Fig.6 is a detail sectional elevation of the septum-partition andthe spring-strips attached thereto t'orholding the glass plates.

My invention is herein shown as applied to a double shield that is, ashield carrying two sensitive plates, and provided with two covers orslides. The shield is in general of the customary construction, and isprovided at one end with a slot, through which the septum A is insertedinto the shield. This septum consists of a partition, a, surrounded by aframe, I), in which are the usual grooves, c, for the insertion ot' thesensitive plates, or for the insertion of frames to hold the sensitiveplates.

The partition a is provided on each side withthe usual springs, a.pressing against the back of the plate and holding it in position.

The septum maybe constructed to hold a sensitive plate, B, on each sideof the partition a; or it may be constructed to hold only a singleplate.

The usual series otplate-i'rames, J, fitting i,nto each other may beused in the ordinary manner in the septum, whereby sensitive plates ofdifferent sizes may be readily introduced with. in the shield.

In ordinary shields the, sliding septum is made with an end stop, whichpresses against the end of the shield and excludes the light; but itwill be observed that in this improvementthe septum A has noend stop,butis made of square form, so that it can be wholly inserted, eitherside up, within the shield, the light being excluded by the removablecover 0, which is applied after the septum has been placed within theshield. In this way square pictures can be taken or horizontal picturesthat is, pictures that are longer than they are high-or verticalpictures-that is, pictures that are higher than they are long-all thesedifferent forms and sizes being taken without changing the position ofthe camera-box upon its tripod, the desired changes of form and sizebeing effected by withdrawing the septum and changing the position ofthe same within the shield.

Another advantage of my improvement is that these various changes of theform and size of the picture may be effected, as desired, by changingthe position of the septum, and yet always retain the shield in positionfor withdrawing andinsertingtheshield covers or slides at the end of theshield.

Heretofore it has been necessary in taking vertical pictures that is,pictures that are higher than they are long-to turn the camera and itsattached shield on one side, which brings the slide of the shielduppermost and requires that the slide shall be withdrawn or insertedvertically. In the use of a large camera in the field it is difficult toaccomplish this vertical operation of the shield-slides. By the use ofmy improvement no change of the position of the shield or camera isrequired for taking vertical pictures, and consequently the slides ofthe shields can always be withdrawn or inserted longitudinally from theend of the shield, which is the best and mostconvenient position.

For the purpose of holding the septum A in the shield and excluding thelight, I have provided a removable cover, 0, fitting in a slot orlongitudinal recess in the edge of the shield where the septum enters.The said cover is provided at the ends with sliding bolts E E, orequivalentdevices, which can be operated from the exterior of the cover.The bolts E E enter suitable recesses, F F, in the frame of the shield.The inner edge of the cover 0 is provided with springs G, which restagainst the adjoining edge of the frame I) of the septum A. When thecover is locked the springs hold the septum and its attached plates orframes in place in the shield, and when the bolts E of the cover 0 arewithdrawn the springs G press the cover out of its recess or slot in theedge of the shield, thus opening the cover automatically. The septum andits plates can then be removed from the shield by slightly inclining thelatter, so that the septum will slide out of the shield.

For the purpose of securely holding the sensitive plates or plate-framesin the grooves of the septum, I attach an automatic springlock, H, toeach surface of the septum-partition a, at the outer end of the same.\Vhen a plate or frame is passed into either of the grooves of theseptum it will slide over the spring II, pressing the free end of thesame downward. As soon as the plate or frame has passed completelyintoits placein the septum and the outer or rear edge of the frame or platehas passed the inner or free end of the spring-strip H this end of thespring snaps upward and against the edge of the plate or frame, thusholding the same in place in the septum, as shown in Fig. 6. When theplate or frame is to be removed the end of the spring H must bedepressed. For the purpose of automatically locking the slides or coversK in the shield, I have attached a spring-lock, L, provided in eachshank with an aperture, M, to that side or edge of the shield againstwhich the stopsN of the slides or coversK rest, as shown in Figs. 2, 3,and 4. The stops N are each provided with a projecting stud, 0,corresponding in position with the apertures M of the springlock L. Ifthe shields or covers K are pushed into the shields the spring-lock Lwill snap over the stud O of each cover, whereby the slides or coverswill be automatically locked in place. In order to release any one ofthe covers or slides K the corresponding lock, L, must be pressed so asto release the stud O.

I do not wish to claim broadly the combination, with the frame and darkslide of a photographic-plate holder, of a self-acting spring catch orlock, whereby the slide will be automatically locked when inserted inthe frame.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent l. A photographic shield, made substantially asherein shown and described, with a removable plate carrying the septum,adapted to beinserted, either side up, within the shield, wherebyhorizontal or vertical pictures on plates of different sizes may betaken at will by simply changing the position of the septum, as setforth.

2. The removable cover 0, provided with fastening devices and springs onits inner edge, in combination with the frame of the shield and theseptum A, substantially as herein shown and described, and for thepurpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the cover 0 and septum A, of the springs G,substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the septum will beheld in place when the cover is closed, and the door will beautomatically thrown open when unfastencd, as set forth.

4. In combination with the cover 0 and the shield D, the fasteningdevices E E, or their equivalents,substantially as herein shown anddescribed, for the purpose of holding the cover and septum in place, asset forth.

5. The combination, with the shield and its slide, of a self-actingspring-lock on the shield,

having an aperture in its shank to engage with a projecting stud on theslide, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the slidewill be automatically locked when pushed home.

6. The self-acting spring H, in combination with the septum A,substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the plate will beautomatically held and looked upon the septum, as set forth.

I ERASTUS B. BARKER.

Witnesses:

O. SEDGWICK, J. H. SCARBOROUGH.

